


I do see you.

by katieMACgrath24



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor Friendship, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 02:46:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11614281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katieMACgrath24/pseuds/katieMACgrath24
Summary: Kara comes to visit Lena one evening and Lena is being cold, but Kara doesn't know why. Turns out, Lena knows about Kara's secret, and this is the fallout.(One Shot)(Technically takes place right after 2x15.)





	I do see you.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I'm Mac! Thank you for your interest in my work. This is actually my first time posting any of my work ever, so please be gentle. I've had this written for a while now (literally since 02x15), I just wasn't really sure if I wanted to post it anywhere. But with all the things that happened this past weekend at SDCC, I thought maybe people would enjoy this (although I totally get it if you don't even care about SuperCorp anymore). Either way, I hope you get some joy out of this and hopefully it gives you the feels.
> 
> If you want to come stalk me on Twitter or just say hi, feel free: @HaughtDamnSwift

The second Kara landed she could tell that something was off. Lena was too tense, too aloof. She had her back turned to Kara, even though Kara knew she had heard her land. The balcony door was open, but, sensing the tension, Kara still knocked on the frame to get permission to enter. Lena had been through a rough couple of days, after all. Maybe she just didn’t want company. 

“Come in,” Lena said without turning to look at Kara. There was a lack of emotion and too much sharpness to her voice. 

"Something is definitely wrong. Maybe I should just go, and come back as Kara," Kara thought.

Kara hesitantly walked into the office, as Lena stood up with her drink, and walked around her desk towards the couch on the opposite wall, still not having looked at Kara once. 

“Lena?” Kara said; simple enough to not dig too deep if Lena didn’t want to talk about whatever was obviously bothering her, but firm enough to let Lena know that she knew something was up. 

Lena stopped in her tracks. Kara heard her sigh loudly enough that she didn’t need her enhanced hearing to understand its meaning. Kara immediately tensed up. Lena turned, and Kara noticed a look in her eyes that seemed to be portraying hurt, betrayal, anger, and maybe even fear. 

Lena looked straight into her eyes, and said one simple word: “Kara.”

Kara was immediately taken aback. Not only had Lena said her name while she was Supergirl, but she said it with such hurt and malice in her tone that Kara was truly frightened; not that Lena would hurt her, but that she had caused irreparable damage by keeping this secret. She knew why she had done it (the people who knew her secret didn’t exactly have the best track record in being safe), but did Lena understand that it had come from a place of love, not distrust? 

“Lena…—”

“You know Kara, I get it. I get why you didn’t tell me. I’m a Luthor, after all. I understand that I am viewed a certain way. I understand that I will forever be trying to come out of this goddamn shadow that my brother has made loom over me and this company, but I thought you were different. I thought we were friends. I thought you saw me, not as a Luthor but as Lena.”

“I do see you, Lena.”

“Do you?”

The way she had said her last name with such disgust made Kara’s heart hurt. She never wanted Lena to think that she was judging her as a Luthor first. The way the tears were filling Lean’s eyes, ready to spill over at any second, made her nauseous. She never ever wanted to hurt anyone, especially not the people who meant the most to her, like this woman standing in front of her. 

Kara tried, but failed to keep a steady voice.

“Yes. I do.”

“Then why did you lie to me? Why not tell me before now? I understand hiding it in the beginning, I mean it is a secret identity, after all, but we’ve known each other for six months, Kara. You’re quite literally my only, and, frankly, my best friend in this city. We have spent hours upon hours with each other. You couldn’t find the time in there somewhere to tell me you were traipsing around the city as the Girl of Steel?”

“It’s not because you’re a Luthor. Please don’t ever think that.”

“Then what is it, Kara? Why would someone who knows that I have been lied to and betrayed my entire life lie to me? Why?”

Lena’s tears were falling freely now, and her voice was turning from anger to hurt, breaking Kara’s heart even more with its transition. Kara looked down, maybe trying to conceal some of her own tears, or maybe because she couldn’t look at the expression on Lena’s face anymore. She didn’t know.

“Because knowing is dangerous. Knowing makes you a target.” Kara looked up, and straight into Lena’s eyes. “Being my friend,” she said while pointing to the emblem on her chest, “makes you a target. And I would never willingly put you into danger.”

“Being a Luthor makes me a target, Kara. You don’t get an all-encompassing claim on being put into dangerous situations.”

“I know I don’t, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to thrust the burden of knowing my secret onto you. It’s a different kind of pressure. You’re not a target for killing, you’re a target for information, a target to be tortured.”

“My mother runs CADMUS and I am the CEO of an advanced tech company. I know a lot of secrets, Kara. Yours is no different.”

“But you would be more of a target if people somehow found out that you were friends with a Super.”

“It’s not like people don’t already know that, Kara.”

At Kara’s confused look, Lena explained, “You personally guarded my party from aliens, as per my request. You have openly advocated for me and this company at various times. You make weekly stops here to just ‘check in’ on me and make sure that I’m doing okay. People know we’re, at the very least, well acquainted with each other.”

“I hadn’t really thought of that…”

“I can tell.”

There was a long, awkward pause as they both thought about everything that had been said. Lena was the one to break the silence.

“So?”

“‘So’ what?”

“What is your reason for hiding arguably the biggest secret in National City from someone who thought you regarded them as a friend?”

“You are my friend, Lena. You’re one of my best friends.”

Lena scoffed, “And I’m supposed to believe that after this?”

“That’s not fair, Lena. You know why I was hiding it.”

“No Kara. That’s just it. I don’t know why. You’ve said that you were trying to protect me, but, first of all, I am already a huge target, so I do not need your protection. I can handle that on my own, thank you very much. Second of all, even if I did need your protection, you’re Supergirl. Wouldn’t I be much safer knowing exactly who to call in an emergency? Hell, I bet James calls you every time he walks in the dark.”

"That is definitely not true," Kara thought. 

“Okay. Maybe you’re right. You don’t need my protection, as very obviously demonstrated tonight. You’re completely capable of handling yourself. And knowing who to call would help.”

“So what is it, then?”

Kara paused, gathering her thoughts. This couldn’t come out the wrong way. 

“Maybe…maybe I was protecting myself. Not because you’re a Luthor,” Kara hastened her speech. “I have never seen you as a Luthor first.” 

Kara walked towards Lena, closing the distance. Thankfully, Lena didn’t move away. Kara looked right into her eyes, and placed her hand on her forearm, squeezing gently.

“I have always seen you as Lena. The Lena that is my friend. The Lena that is good. The Lena that strives so hard to come out from her brother’s shadow, because all she wants to do is help people. That Lena is the one that I know and care for. I frankly couldn’t give a damn what your last name is.”

Kara made sure to emphasize each point as much as she could. She meant every word and needed Lena to know that.

“Then why do you feel like you need protection from me? You’re the Girl of Steel.”

Kara laughed at that. She tucked her hair behind her ear and remembered something that Alex had told her once. 

“It’s always the strongest people that are the softest. The ones that can be almost completely crushed by a word or a look. I may have super strength, but I cannot take emotional bullets.”

Kara looked at Lena again. She seemed to be calming, but Kara could tell she was still hurt.

“Ever since I landed on earth, I have been the ‘odd child.’ Eliza, Alex, and Jeremiah did their best to help me fit in, but I always, always stood out. I would do something that I thought was okay, and I would just get these glares from kids or even their parents, so I would just contain everything. I acted the best that I could in public and sometimes I wouldn’t even drop the act at home, because I was trying so hard to fit in. I was always taught that no one was to know my secret, at all costs. Eventually, I learned how to act like a human would in almost every situation. I didn’t use my powers, and I didn’t need to; Superman was around, and who needs two alien superheroes? Because of all this concealing, I automatically go to that, especially now that everyone knows that there is a Supergirl. I may seem like an over-exuberant extrovert most of the time, but I harbor a lot of secrets and emotions. So, it’s always a big deal when I tell someone about me. Always. I think about it for a very long time, seeing if this person really has a need to know, or if I just want to get rid of my guilt and stop lying to them. Hell, most of the people at the D.E.O. don’t even know my identity, and they work for a government organization that technically doesn’t exist. So, no. It’s not because of you or anything you’ve done. I just have this excruciatingly long process that I go through before I tell someone.”

Lena seemed to be absorbing as much of the information as she possibly could, processing through it all. Much to Kara’s delight, her face had softened a little. 

Kara spoke up, “Also, for the record, I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now, I was just still in the process of how.”

Lena’s head popped up at that.

“Really? How long is ‘a while’?”

“About three months actually. I was thinking that it was something you needed to know, but Alex said I needed to wait.”

At Lena’s look of confusion, Kara elaborated, “Sometimes I act too much on emotion, and Alex has to be the voice of reason. I mean, I’d post it on half the billboards in the city to get to stop lying all the time, but Alex says that’s not a good idea. So, I couldn’t tell you then, because we hadn’t known each other long enough. I trusted you, and still do, but Alex wanted me to give it some more time, and I realized that was probably the safest option for everyone involved.”

Lena smiled and nodded slightly, like it made sense, and stayed silent, still taking everything in. 

“I mean, I actually wanted to tell you at your party, ‘cause that would’ve made my life a lot easier that night,” Kara chuckled, getting a knowing scoff from Lena, “But, again, I would have only been doing it for my benefit, and I knew I couldn’t do that to you. But, yeah, I started heavily thinking about telling you about three months ago.”

Kara knew she was rambling when she should just let the silence fill the air, as Lena needed time to process her reasons, but she couldn’t stand the tension that was between them. It was waning more with her explanations, but it was still very much present. She resisted the urge to rock back on her heels, and instead nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and bit her lip. She couldn’t help but stare at Lena, reading her face and trying to decipher the emotions going across her face. 

Finally, Lena looked up, and icy blue eyes met sharp green ones. Kara still couldn’t quite read her face.

“I’m not going to say that I’m not still hurt and angry, because I am. But I want you to know that I do understand why you did this. I’m not saying that it’s entirely okay, but I do get it.”

Kara looked into her eyes and read the emotion seeping off every word. It broke her heart, but also gave her a little bit of hope for the future. 

“Lena, I am so truly sorry. I shouldn’t have kept this from you for so long. I get why you feel hurt and betrayed. I lied to you. You’ve dealt with enough utter crap in your life and I just added onto the lies. I am so, so, sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, you have to know that. And it was never about distrust, because I have always believed in you. I was trying to protect you out of love. I see now that my trying to protect you from others only led to your getting hurt by me.” Kara paused, letting the realization of her own words hit her. “I am so sorry.”

Lena looked at Kara, and she was hit with the fact that she was extremely glad that Lena knew, because it gave her the opportunity to see her in all her failures and flaws.

“You’re too good, Kara. You care too much sometimes. It’s what makes you the amazing woman that you are. But sometimes…sometimes you need to let people in. Especially on decisions you are making in regards to them.”

“I know... I know. But my first instinct is always just to protect and care and love. Now that I’m able to be out with my powers, it’s all I want to do. I only want to help.”

There was a sense of regret and maybe almost defeat in Kara’s voice, and she could hear it echoing straight into her heart. She couldn’t stop the tears anymore. 

“I only want to help,” Kara repeated, this time much softer, due to the huge lump in her throat. 

Kara sunk into the couch, cradling her face in her hands, and just cried. In all honesty, this was something she had been dealing with and thinking about for a while. Who was she to get to make so many life-altering decisions for the world? She was an alien, but that didn’t make her a god. After all, Krypton had been as corrupt, if not more so, as Earth, and she was the daughter of the two people who didn’t do enough to save everyone. Was she only trying to pay an atonement for her family’s crimes? 

"No. No. You didn’t even know about those crimes until after you were Supergirl," Kara thought.

Kara felt the couch sink a little more, and felt an arm go around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry.”

“Shhhhh. There’s nothing to be sorry about, Kara.”

Kara looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Yes there is. There is everything to be sorry about. Like how I always just want to help but seem to somehow make things worse. Like how I lied to you and hurt you. Like how as much as I have protected this town I have equally terrorized it. There were never random alien attacks in National City until I showed up. Not to mention the fact that I literally have thrown Ms. Grant off a building.”

“Kara, you were under the influence of Red-Kryptonite then. That wasn’t you.”

“But it was. It was the worst parts of me. It was the awful thoughts that pop up that I shove down. It was me.”

“It was a side of you, yes, but it’s not who you are. You are good and brave and amazing.”

Lena paused, lifting Kara’s chin so she was looking her directly in the eyes, “We are all good and bad, Kara, but it’s what we do with those parts of ourselves that makes us who we truly are.”

Kara laughed slightly as she recognized the quote. 

“Harry Potter?”

Lena smiled, “Always.”

They both paused, looking at each other. Kara could feel herself blushing. 

“I’m sorry. You were the one who was angry and hurt and now you’re comforting me.”

Lena smiled, “In all honesty I was probably being a little petty with my anger…”

“No, Lena. You were not being petty. You have every right to be angry and hurt. Your feelings are valid. Don’t think that they aren’t.”

Lena looked at her, and Kara could only see admiration in her eyes. She seemed to be smiling. Kara smiled back, hoping she had read it right. The tension seemed to be almost non-existent now. 

There was a moment of silence, but this time there was no hint of awkwardness. It was a comfortable silence that they had enjoyed many times before. Kara decided to break the silence, needing the answer to something.

“When did you know?”

“Hmm?”

“When did you figure out that I was…” Kara trailed off, vaguely motioning to the symbol on her chest.

“Oh, right. Um…well I had my suspicions for a little bit, but what really solidified it was the other night after those guys pushed me off the balcony.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It was too much of a coincidence for you to have gotten there so quickly. Especially with my suspicions.”

“When did your suspicions start?”

“You mean besides the whole ‘I flew here…on a bus’ diabolical?”

Kara chuckled and blushed, “That was definitely not one of my quickest moments.”

Lena chuckled, “Yeah. Definitely not. Really, though, they truly started, and I mean ‘truly’ as in they started occupying too much of my thought processes, after you saved me from CADMUS. I couldn’t shake the fact that you had fought so hard to protect me because it was you. And then the other night, you showed up so quickly and when you carried me, I could tell it was you. I mean, you carried me out of CADMUS, but this time I was…you know, conscious, so I could tell it was you….you carried me with such ease and carefulness, just like your hugs.”

Kara couldn’t help but smile at the sentiments.

“I know, it’s cheesy, but it’s true. And honestly I was kicking myself for a while because you had fooled me with glasses and a ponytail. I’m supposed to be this amazing prodigy genius, and I get doped by what is arguably one of the worst disguises ever.”

“Hey!”

“I’m sorry, but it’s true. Anyone who spends enough time with both of you can easily put it together.”

“It’s called blending in!”

“Oh yeah, cause you know, add glasses and it makes you look so much less like a goddess.”

“….Did you just….?”

“Yes. I am full of paraphrased movie quotes tonight,” Lena said with a wry smile.

Kara blinked, stunned.

“That…that’s not what I meant.”

Lena looked at Kara devilishly, “Hmmm…I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I think you kno—“

“Ms. Luthor?” Lena’s assistant came in through the doors, looking startled that there was another person in the room, let alone that the person was Supergirl.

“Yes, Jess?” 

“You’re needed in one of the labs.” 

“I’ll be right there,” Lena said, as Jess nodded and left the office.

Lena stood, with Kara following suit. 

“Well, I guess I need to go. Talk to you later?” Lena said in a kind of hopeful, but slightly unsure way.

“Absolutely,” Kara said while walking towards the balcony. When she got to the door, she paused and turned around, to see Lena looking at her from the other side of the room. 

Kara gulped. 

“Thank you for not hating me.”

“I could never hate you, Kara,” Lena said with the most sincere smile she had ever had.

With that, they both walked out, looking forward to the next time Supergirl felt like stopping by.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment below (if you want to) if you enjoyed it, or if there are things you think I should work on. I'll do my best to respond to them all! 
> 
> Thank you again for reading and feel free to come chat on Twitter: @HaughtDamnSwift


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